With all the talk nowadays of ‘going green’, you may have wondered why is it important to save energy?
Depending on where you live, your electricity may come from burning coal, nuclear power, or from a more nature-friendly source, such as hydro-electric power.
Most energy today is produced in ways which cause pollution, or comes from depleting sources which will not last forever.
Therefore, saving energy is important.
Effective Ways to Save Energy Consumption at Your Office
Let us look at the top 5 common areas to save energy at your office that you can either start doing immediately, or suggest to your manager.
1. Computer and Monitors
Usually computers and monitors are left on for most of the working day and often at night, too.
There are two things you can do here to save energy at office. Firstly, remember to switch off the monitor when you are away from your desk, and switch off both the computer and the monitor when you leave for the day. The second thing that you can do is to enable the energy saving settings in your computer. This will automatically send the computer into a sleep or hibernate mode after a set period of time.
This setting is available on most computers and is relatively simple to set up. If you cannot find this or change it yourself, speak to your manager if he can change it for you and your colleagues.
2. Printing and Paper
The need to print a photocopy has largely been replaced by e-mails and on-screen readings. However, sometimes it is necessary to have a hard copy. Modern photocopy machines and printers are quite efficient. But, remember to switch these off at the end of the day or speak to your manager about purchasing time switches.
An average office uses over 1 million sheets of paper each year. The carbon associated with this paper use is equivalent to 8 people commuting to work by car for a year.
Before printing, think if you can e-mail or read it on the screen instead.
3. Lighting
Lighting, typically, accounts for around 25 per cent of an office’s electricity cost and around 15 per cent of electricity can be saved by simply switching off the lights while leaving the room.
You may not have control of the lighting within the main office or the common area, but it is important to notify your manager that the lights are being left on unnecessarily.
Instead of switching the lights off manually, you can install occupancy sensors ensuring the light is only on when needed.
You can also encourage others to switch off lights by putting eye-catching posters or stickers.
4. Heating
Do you ever find yourself walking in short sleeves in winters, or a jumper in summer? A comfortable office temperature is around 20-21 degree celsius. Turning the heating down by just one degree could save your organisation up to 8 per cent on its heating bills. If you feel too warm or too cold in your office, speak to your manager about adjusting the temperature controls.
5. Commuting
An average commuter travels around 8.6 miles each day to work. Using public transport such as trains and buses instead of taking the car to work has a much lower environmental impact. Even better, you can consider carpooling with your colleagues to work. It is better for the environment as well as saves money on the commuting cost. Speak to your colleagues and find out if others living near you wish to join in.
Conclusion:
Each year, a typical office consumes around the same energy as 12 households. If you manage to make all the above mentioned changes in your work routine, then you can reduce the energy consumed in your office by more than a quarter.
